Shower tray replacement

A shower tray gets replaced when it cracks, yellows, starts leaking at the trap, or when a bathroom renovation calls for a different enclosure shape. Replacing a shower tray is noticeably harder than fitting one in an empty bathroom: the old tray usually sits in tiled boxing with its rim tucked under the wall tiles.

How the replacement goes

• removing the enclosure or screen, doors and profiles;
• cutting the silicone and breaking out the tray boxing and the bottom row of tiles;
• lifting out the old tray and checking the floor and waste underneath;
• fitting the new tray with a new trap and testing the drain;
• making good the tiles, siliconing and refitting the enclosure.

What usually turns up under an old tray

Under a tray that has leaked at the trap for years there is often wet screed, mould or swollen boxing boards. That area has to be dried out and treated before the new tray goes on. The other typical problem is size: a new tray of the same nominal size may have a different height or waste position. Measure the old tray and compare it with the new one’s data sheet before buying.

Tiles after the replacement

A replacement almost always means taking off and making good at least one row of tiles. If you kept spare tiles from the last renovation, have them ready. If not, consider a border strip or band in another colour to disguise the difference.

Common questions